Skip to content 6/3/2026 Tony and Guests Review Capitol Hill Activities, Primary Election Results, and Redistricting Efforts Jun 3 · 54 min ...more
6/3/2026 Tony and Guests Review Capitol Hill Activities, Primary Election Results, and Redistricting Efforts
June 3, 2026 · 54 min
Today on Washington Watch: Protecting kids from sex mutilation procedures; Assisting kids who age out of the foster care system; Secretary Rubio’s congressional testimony on Iran; DHS funding; Proposed legislation to end government shutdowns; Prime Minister Netanyahu’s support of a U.S. bill that Halts Free Military Aid to Israel; Primary election results; Court decision on redistricting Alabama.
Series Washington Watch with Tony Perkins - Audio June 3, 2026 · 54 min · Washington Watch with Tony Perkins - Audio
Today on Washington Watch: Protecting kids from sex mutilation procedures; Assisting kids who age out of the foster care system; Secretary Rubio’s congressional testimony on Iran; DHS funding; Proposed legislation to end government shutdowns; Prime Minister Netanyahu’s support of a U.S. bill that Halts Free Military Aid to Israel; Primary election results; Court decision on redistricting Alabama. ...more Show the full description Show less Today on Washington Watch: Protecting kids from sex mutilation procedures; Assisting kids who age out of the foster care system; Secretary Rubio’s congressional testimony on Iran; DHS funding; Proposed legislation to end government shutdowns; Prime Minister Netanyahu’s support of a U.S. bill that Halts Free Military Aid to Israel; Primary election results; Court decision on redistricting Alabama.
Series Washington Watch with Tony Perkins - Audio Support this leader Liking this video? Support this ministry.
Support this leader
Liking this video? Support this ministry.
Give
Support this leader Liking this video? Support this ministry.
93.9K followers
Family Research Council is serving in the kingdom of God by championing faith, family, & freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview.
93.9K followers
Up next Autoplay More from Tony Perkins Ron Johnson, Andrew Clyde, Blaise Misztal, Michele Bachmann, Gary Hamrick Tony Perkins
11/9/2026 Reflections on How the Midterms Will Shape the Future Congressional Agenda and Foreign Policy Tony Perkins
From Tekoa to Bethel: A Shepherd’s Warning of Judgment Tony Perkins
Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment: God’s Desire to Restore Tony Perkins
David Wurmser, Ryan Bangert, Jeanne Seaver, David Closson Tony Perkins
11/6/2026 America’s Future Foreign and Domestic Policies and Responding Biblically to Cultural Challenges Tony Perkins
Joel 1:14 — Consecrate a Fast: A Pastoral Call to Repentance Tony Perkins
Randy Fine, Chris Mitchell, Amanda Dixon, Igor Bandura, Casey Harper Tony Perkins
11/5/2026 How Will Democrats Govern With Growing Anti-Semitism in Their Party? Tony Perkins
Hands on the Bow: Prophetic Authority and National Repentance Tony Perkins
Eric Burlison, John Rogers, Jack Hibbs, Suzanne Bowdey, Casey Harper Tony Perkins
In this video 0:00 Gender Transition Hearing: Protecting Children from Harm10:00 Iran Diplomacy, Border Security, and Immigration Funding17:00 Freedom's Purpose, Gender Hearing Insights, and Foster Care25:00 Primary Election Results and US-Israel Partnership Shift40:00 Closing Calls to Prayer, Action, and Biblical Courage
Gender Transition Hearing: Protecting Children from Harm 0:00 From the heart of our nation's capital in Washington, DC, bringing compelling interviews, insightful analysis, taking you beyond the headlines and sound bites into conversations with our nation's leaders and0:12 newsmakers, all from a biblical world view. Washington Watch with Tony Perkins starts now.0:19 First, there is 0 evidence that gender transition procedures improve mental health. The opposite is often true. Second, the reality is that many of the children suffering from gender dysphoria will outgrow their0:31 diagnosis within a few years. Allowing minors to permanently change their body causes more significant harm to their overall health and well-being long term.0:40 That was senator Bill Cassidy, chair of the health committee, speaking about the dangers of gender transition surgeries for minors. Welcome to this Wednesday, June third edition of Washington Watch. I'm Tony0:52 Perkins, your host. Thanks so much for joining us. Well, coming up, the senate, within the last hour, cleared the initial hurdle to advance its reconciliation 2 bill to fund immigration1:04 enforcement agencies. Oklahoma senator James Lankford will join us shortly to discuss the next steps. Plus, Ohio senator John Husted Husted joins us to talk about the hearing1:16 on the risk of so called gender transition procedures for minors as well as a bill to expand foster care where needed. Later in the program, Indiana congressman Marlon Stutzman will join me to talk about a
1:27 new approach to the US Israel relationship. All of that and more straight ahead. Well, the senate
1:39 help committee this morning held a hearing on the dangers of so called gender transition procedures for minors. This was led by the committee chair, senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. Now lawmakers reviewed findings
1:51 from a recent health and human services report that questioned the evidence supporting puberty blockers, cross sex hormones, and other radical procedures for children, some of them irreversible.
2:03 Still, they were raising concerns about the potential long term risk of some of these procedures. Joining me now to discuss this is Washington Watch reporter Mary Stackhouse. Mary, what were some of the key takeaways
2:15 from today's hearing?
2:17 Well, Tony, there was a stark difference between Democrats and Republicans on display during the hearing. Republican senators argued that gender transition senators argued that gender transition gender transition
2:27 procedures for minors should be prohibited because of the irreversible damage that they cause. Democrats, on the other hand, seem to have no issue with what they call access to gender affirming care. Here's how senator
2:38 Josh har Hawley responded to them.
2:40 It is time to speak the truth. Protecting children is not wrong. It is our job. It is right. It is justice. It's what we are here for. And I think it's time that
2:52 we start exposing the nonsense, the outrageous nonsense that has been foisted on our children.
2:59 Now witnesses, including Chloe Cole, discussed concerns about long term health risks. They talked about the need for mental health support. They also talked about the importance of providing compassionate care that
3:09 prioritizes the well-being of children and families. Here's what Cole, who was pressured to have a gender transition procedure when she was a minor, said at the hearing.
3:18 This is not medicine. Medicine heal heals what is sick. But me being female was not a disease. The lie
3:30 was the disease. Once doctors denied that boundary between male and female, they also denied the boundary between child and adult. That's how my confusion became evidence.
3:42 My parents' instincts became bigotry, and a surgeon's knife became
3:47 care. Other Republican senators also emphasized a faith based perspective. They argue that children should be encouraged to embrace their god given identity rather than undergo radical and irreversible procedures at a
3:59 young age. Tony?
4:01 Well, Mary, we're certainly grateful for those like Chloe who have been willing to step out and bring attention to this issue, and we we wanna pray for them both for their their journey of healing, but also being a voice
4:12 to protect others. I I wanna move to, another issue, the votes that the votes from yesterday's primary elections, in some places are still being counted a day after voters
4:24 cast those ballots in primary races in 6 states. What do we know so far about some of those key races?
4:30 So, Tony, the ballots are still coming in, but some races appear to be yielding some surprising results. In California, in the battle to replace governor Gavin Newsom, it appears that there will be a November showdown
4:42 between Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra. Here's a clip from Hilton yesterday.
4:48 We're just getting started. This is the first stage, but the fight really starts tomorrow to bring the change to California that we so desperately need. But I'm very
5:00 confident we're gonna make it happen. Change is coming to California.
5:05 Now as for the race for mayor in Los Angeles, it looks like Republican Spencer Pratt could end up going head to head with incumbent Democratic mayor Karen Bass. Again, the votes are still being counted. In Iowa, there
5:16 was a bit of a setback for president Trump as the candidate that he endorsed, congressman Randy Feenstra, was defeated by businessman Zach Lawn. In New Jersey, Democrats picked former Navy helicopter pirate,
5:28 pilot, Rebecca Bennett, to go up against Republican congressman Tom Keene junior in the seventh district of New Jersey. We'll definitely be watching closely as the results continue to come in. Tony.
5:39 Alright, Mary. Thanks so much. We're gonna talk a little bit more about that later, as we, have a FRC action, segment of the program. Mary, thanks so much for the update. Appreciate the, reporting
5:51 on various items. Alright. I wanna I wanna move now to, 2 issues that are, well, actually front and center right now on Capitol Hill, Iran,
6:03 homeland security. So joining us now to discuss this and a bit more, senator James Lankford of Oklahoma, a member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
6:15 Senator Lankford, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us.
6:18 You bet, Tony. Good to be with you again.
6:20 So, your former colleague and now secretary of state Marco Rubio testified today before the House Foreign Affairs Committee and, a senate appropriation subcommittee. Of course, much of the focus was on the situation
6:32 in, Iran. What what do we know? Is there a diplomatic resolution in sight?
6:40 It's difficult to do a diplomatic resolution with a regime that lies continuously, that their whole focus is deception and terrorism. So remember this regime for 47 years has been focused on the eradication
6:52 of all Jews, destruction of Israel, the destruction of American way of life and of freedom. So, yes, it's a very difficult set of diplomacy, and the president stepped right into it and said this is gonna be
7:03 hard, but it needs to be done. For 47 years, it's been ignored. He stepped into it and said it's time to take it on.
7:11 So from the perspective of yours your colleagues, Republican colleagues in the senate, what's the acceptable outcome here? What what will be I mean, obviously, we have our ideal outcome. I think
7:23 most would like to see a regime change because you've got to root out that ideology. Yeah. But what's acceptable?
7:28 Yeah. I would love to see a regime change there, and I'm willing to be able to say that out loud and repeat it numerous times. It's hard to be able to get a resolution when you've got a a dictatorial regime that
7:38 oppresses its own people. So first first thing we gotta have is no nuclear weapons, no nuclear weapons program, no nuclear material, inside of Iran. That is essential. Terrorist regime cannot
7:50 have a nuclear weapon. That should be obvious to everybody. Second part of this, we've gotta be able to end terrorism, in the region. That's Hamas. It's Hezbollah. That's the Houthis, continually stirring up and trying
8:01 to attack Americans and our allies. And And then third, obviously, the free flow of commerce to the Strait of Hormuz. Those become the baselines. Now I'd love like you, I'd love to see a Jeffersonian democracy breakout,
8:13 in Iran, but very little chance of that. But at a minimum, they gotta stop attacking Americans, stop attacking our allies, and they've gotta be able to not have a nuclear weapon.
8:24 Also on the hill today, we had the homeland security secretary, another former colleague of yours, Mark Wayne Mullen, testified before the House Homeland Security Committee. He also testified yesterday before a
8:36 senate's appropriation subcommittee. He's been taking, Democrats to task on their rhetoric and actions against immigration enforcement and border security. I mean, they've they've they've vilified the men and women who
8:48 are working hard at times without pay to protect us. Yeah. Are are we seeing a breakthrough there, or is this something that the Democrats are gonna plan a flag on? I mean, just like we were talking earlier on the a
8:58 ginger transition for minors, it seems like they're doubling down on some of this.
9:02 They are doubling down on federal law enforcement. They do not want ICE. They do not want border patrol. They want open borders on it. Or if if anything they want is limited as possible, any kind of enforcement, they
9:14 continue to call ICE and border patrol agents, Gestapo, and use Nazi, terms for them over and over again. It's truly awful and reprehensible. These are folks that literally lay down their life to be able to protect
9:26 the country day after day after day. So Markwayne Mullen is right to be able to call them out and to say these are federal law enforcement folks that are literally protecting our families, our homes, our cities, and
9:36 communities. We should support them. The protests that are happening in New Jersey right now at a detention facility there, those are mostly not folks from New Jersey. Those are liberal activists that have come from all
9:46 over the country and just converged on New Jersey to try to create a moment to try to get some member of law enforcement to make a mistake as they just yell at them hour after hour after hour. The folks
9:58 that are there serving in law enforcement are showing incredible discipline that I think most Americans would struggle with after someone's in your face screaming at you and cursing at you for days and hours.
Iran Diplomacy, Border Security, and Immigration Funding
10:09 You know, I I know it's hard to to get into the mindset of those on the other side of this issue, but are are the Democrats being I mean, is this based on polling? Do they somehow see that this is a winning issue
10:21 from a polling standpoint, or is this being driven by a a deep rooted ideology?
10:26 It's a bit of both on that, actually. The deep rooted ideology is Trump is mean, Trump is bad. Anything he's trying to do to enforce the law, is the wrong way to be able to go. Quite frankly, that was the same opinion
10:37 the Biden administration had after the first Trump administration was enforcing the border. The Biden administration immediately came in and said Trump's bad mean for enforcing the border. We're not gonna enforce it, and
10:47 our borders were absolutely overrun with people from all over the world. And we worked actively trying to make that stop, make that stop. So it is an ideological thing for them that they want an open border. They've
10:58 already shown that with the last presidency. The second aspect of this is they're hardcore left activists. They don't like law enforcement. They're the defund the police, defund ICE. That's just a core principle for
11:10 them. So it is difficult to be able to break through that, but I do not believe that's where most Americans are.
11:15 I would agree with you. I don't think that's where most Americans are. And and to the the the aspect of the border security, you tried to approach this during the Biden administration to
11:27 to to find middle ground to at least secure the border. They wouldn't agree to that. They they wanted wide open borders.
11:34 Yeah. It was a final way through. I was, I was tasked by my Republican colleagues in the senate to find some way to be able to make the Biden administration close the borders. This was a year before the election. We had
11:44 no idea how the election was gonna go. If Biden, won that election, we knew this policy would continue for another, 4 years. That is intolerable for American national security. So I
11:56 spent months trying to be able to find some way to be able to get a close to this border legislatively, to try to make this happen. Obviously, when president Trump came in, he could turn that around pretty quickly with
12:07 just in implementing and enforcing the law. But at the time, a year before that, we didn't know how the election was gonna go. We just knew we had chaos right then.
12:14 But it just showed that they didn't wanna secure the border. They were happy
12:17 with it. They they didn't wanna secure the border, but we did find some leverage points to be able to bring them some legal consequences if they did not.
12:24 But I
12:24 think it provided a contrast. Fell apart. I think it provided a contrast. You tried to, to work to find, consensus on that. There was none to be found. Fortunately, the election provided, as you
12:36 said, executive action that would secure the border. We have just a little over a a minute left, senator Lankford. Speaking of immigration, border security, within the last hour,
12:48 the first hurdle, legislative hurdle for the reconciliation 2, was passed. Give us the latest. Where is this headed? What what does it look like?
12:57 So in the next 12 to 20 hours, we will start what's called a vote a rama, and we will do endless amendments to try to be able to get ICE and CBP funding. Democrats are gonna probably throw 20, 30 amendments at us
13:09 that are from everything from secret service and the president's ballroom to, some negotiated, thing for weaponization funds. They're gonna throw every other issue at us to try to be able to make it
13:21 stop. Republicans will focus on this is about funding for ICE and border patrol. Everything else is a distraction. We are trying to get those 2 things funded. That's what the bill literally is. So it will be
13:33 this very obnoxious set of amendments, that will come that we'll have to just work our way through till we get it done, then we'll send that to the house. I I don't think the house will have any problem passing it, but
13:43 we've gotta be able to get it through this hurdle first.
13:45 Alright. Well, I'll pop some popcorn, sip, and I'll watch those amendments. It's always fun to watch. Senator Langford, always great to see you, my friend. Thanks for joining us.
13:53 You bet. Thanks for what you're doing. Keep praying for the nation.
13:55 Will do. Stick with us, folks. We're back with more after this.
14:00 Join us for a time of prayer, inspiration, and action at this year's pray vote stand summit at Cornerstone Chapel in Leesburg, Virginia. Hear from Christian leaders, issue experts, and government
14:12 officials as we work together to build a foundation based on biblical truth. Early bird special tickets are on sale for 69 dollars when you register by June fifteenth. To register, visit
14:24 pray boat stand dot org. That's pray boat stand dot org.
14:31 Exodus chapter 9 verse 1 says thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews, let my people go that they may serve me. You see America has freedom for a
14:42 purpose. The question is, are we living by that purpose today? In scripture, deliverance and
14:54 freedom is never an end in itself. It is a liberation unto obedience, to worship, and to a covenantal relationship. God's demand to
15:06 pharaoh was not freedom for freedom's sake, but freedom so his people could identify with and belong to and serve him. Freedom is not used to serve
15:18 God will not endure. 1 of the founders actually echoed a similar warning. Thomas Jefferson wrote, Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that
15:30 God is just and his justice cannot sleep forever. See the founders understood We as a nation would be
15:42 accountable to God for what he had granted to us. They sought freedom for a purpose, and that freedom was given to us as a nation for that
15:53 same purpose to serve God, to honor him, and to live as a people under his authority. In this 200 and fiftieth anniversary year, we
16:05 must ask the question, are we living by that purpose today as a nation? Lord, we thank you for the godly
16:17 foundation and heritage of our states. Lord, we would return to an understanding of the freedom that you've granted to us. That freedom has a name. His name is Jesus. And freedom has a
16:29 purpose. It is to honor and glorify you. And I pray that our nation would return to that understanding of the purpose of the freedom that you have granted to
16:41 us. We thank you father. By faith, we pray that we would return to that purpose. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Freedom's Purpose, Gender Hearing Insights, and Foster Care
17:00 Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us on this Wednesday. Alright. As we near America's 200 and fiftieth anniversary, I mean, we're a month away. Family Research Council is launched to defend our
17:12 founding freedoms campaign. Maintaining liberty requires moral responsibility. Our founding fathers knew this, and it's time America turned back to the truth. You know, as a part of this initiative, FRC
17:24 has issued a pledge that I challenge you to sign. It's the declaration of dependence. We need to declare our dependence upon God and return to the foundation of his truth. To
17:36 sign it, text America to 6 7 7 4 2. That's America to 6 7 7 4 2. Alright. Earlier today, there was a senate committee hearing, as we mentioned earlier in the program, on
17:48 exposing the dangers of irreversible gender transitions on minors. And despite testimony from detransitioners like Chloe Cole, who testified today of the harms of the procedures,
18:00 Democrats argued that it was the policy of in politics of the Republicans that are harmful. Now how clear was it today that Democrats are following radical ideology
18:12 and not the science. Joining us now to discuss this is senator John Husted of Ohio. He serves on the senate committee on health, education, labor, and pensions, which held
18:24 the hearing. Senator Husted, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us.
18:28 Oh, great to be with you.
18:30 So today's opening statement by Chloe Cole was, exceptional and I think heart wrenching. Did did did the did your Democratic colleagues acknowledge the harms of these procedures at all?
18:43 Well, some of them did. They they, at best, some of them would acknowledge that it was medical malpractice. But, in her specific case but I I
18:55 guess it's probably I think a lot of us probably think it's medical malpractice at a at a much grander scale. In her particular case, she, she was not
19:07 told of the long term consequences of what this would mean, in her life. She was told, you know, that I mean, I mean, her parents were given sort of the
19:19 line, you know, would you rather have would you rather have a live son or a dead daughter?
19:25 Right.
19:26 That's the kind of that's kind of question they they they they pose to parents basically saying, hey. These mental health challenges that your child is going through, they really need to
19:38 have a medical, a surgical solution to them. And, I mean, in the end, what Chloe told us is that she, you know, she was just
19:50 a a teenager who, I know I mean, I'll just tell you in her her words, essentially, she she went through puberty early. And she, you know, kind of identified,
20:02 as a tomboy. And she kinda kinda mimic the the lifestyle of her brother and the things that he liked to do. And somehow, a confused young girl,
20:15 who maybe had a lot a lot of hobbies that you would affiliate with a boy, somehow who goes through challenges ends up being told that really you're you're you need to
20:27 have a, you know, a sex change operation as a 13 year old.
20:31 Right.
20:32 And when you hear her painful story, you can see that the, you know, the the pain that she's still going through over it. You realize that this is not something that you should be doing as a 13 year old
20:44 because you you're going through lots of changes in your life. And you you and the idea that we would do something like this to a 13 year old just makes no sense. And I asked Chloe specifically, because actually 1 of the
20:55 things that the Democrats did is they they said that we shouldn't, as they often do, stand between a person and their doctor in making health care decisions. I found,
21:07 which I found stunning because we make all kinds of decisions as it relates to children about the government does, about what people can do with their lives, whether you smoke, you you drink, you do these things. The
21:17 idea that that we would not have an compelling interest to worry about a 13 year old being misled by an industry who promotes gender transition
21:29 surgeries, was pre it was a pretty stunning approach to that conversation.
21:34 And and and what makes this so bad is that in many of these jurisdictions, they had laws prohibiting that the counseling that was needed to actually help the underlying issues that these
21:46 young people were facing. I mean, under no other circumstance. I mean, we don't even let kids get tattoos, you know, at certain ages without parental involvement and all the facts. And and here, as
21:58 you pointed
21:59 out, and this has been documented. This is
21:59 not speculation. That that line well, you want son, a live son, or a dead daughter, that has been used repeatedly, to really put the pressure
22:11 on on parents. So what were the takeaway, senator Houston, from today? What what do you think will be the effect of today's hearing?
22:19 Well, I think that the point that is made is that federal government government in general has a role in protecting children and that there are people
22:31 who are promoting these surgeries and permanent transition surgery for children that really should not it should shouldn't be something we do to a child. And
22:43 I think that there are gonna be, lots of conversations about laws prohibiting these kinds of of surgeries for children because of the irreversible health effects that that occurs. However, I don't I
22:54 don't, based on their conversation today, think that the Democrats are are gonna go along with that.
22:59 Yeah. Unfortunately, I just think they're doubling down on this. We were talking earlier with 1 of your colleagues, senator Langford, about immigration and, you know, being anti law enforcement. It seems like they're
23:09 doubling down on that, doubling down on this as well. I I I wanna we just
23:13 Let me just add to that. There's a but this is a difference between adults and children. The idea that adults can do with their bodies what they want,
23:23 we could
23:23 have a debate about that, but that's a different issue. These are children. And in this particular case, her parents were not given all the information. She was not given all the information about what this does
23:35 because it's an they're really part of an advocacy of an ideology, that that really is just leaving children in harm's way.
23:46 Well, what I think is going to wake up the medical community on this are the, lawsuits that we've seen the malpractice suits that have been, adjudicated,
23:58 and we've seen some very significant awards made in a couple of these cases, multimillion dollar, penalties that have been handed down. I think that's going to, wake
24:10 up the medical community to start acting as it should, and practice medicine and, and not butchery as they've they've done to some of these young people. Senator Houston, we're out we're out
24:22 of time. I wanna get you back on because I I wanna talk about your focus on foster care and helping to strengthen that in our country because you've got a wonderful story that goes along with it. And so I
24:34 hope to get you back on soon. We can talk about that as well.
24:36 Yeah. We'd love to do that, particularly talking about those kids who are aging out of foster care that have no support system. How do we help them so that they don't go down bad paths towards towards drugs,
24:47 homelessness, and the other things that come when you don't have a family to support you?
24:51 Yeah. We're gonna do that. Senator, thanks for joining us. Folks, stick with us. We're gonna be back with more right after this. For over 4000 years, the Jewish people have hadShow more
Comments No comments yet. Start the conversation.
Comments
Keep it kind. Comments are public.